The present disclosure relates to mobile telephone communications and, more particularly, concerns a method and apparatus for providing efficient, cost-effective long-distance telephone connections for a roaming mobile telephone.
Mobile telephone users typically pay a premium for roaming service. Should a roaming mobile telephone user place a long distance call, he will not only pay a steep additional premium, but the choice of routing for completing his call is entirely in the control of the visited. The connection charges are not only likely to be very high, but it is unlikely that the visited network would take optimum advantage of cost efficient routing. There is therefore a need to enable a roaming mobile telephone user to obtain efficient, cost-effective long-distance connections that are not under control of the visited mobile network.